JOIN USAnother Bengal BJP MP demands separate Jangalmahal state
Days after BJP MP from Alipurduar John Barla demanded that a separate Union Territory be formed of the districts of North Bengal, another BJP MP from West Bengal Soumitra Khan said on Monday that separate State should be carved out of the districts of Birbhum, Jhargram, East and West Medinipur, Bankura and parts of East Bardhaman and Hooghly district.
"From 1803 to 1832 there was a district called Jangalmahal in comprising of Khan said on Monday that separate State should be carved out of the districts of Birbhum, Jhargram, East and West Medinipur, Bankura and parts of East Bardhaman and Hooghly. For the sake of development of the region we can always demand that a separate State of Jangalmahal be set up," said Khan.
Reacting to his comments Trinamool Congress (TMC) spokesperson Kunal Ghosh dubbed it as an “irresponsible publicity oriented comment".
“BJP was routed in the districts mentioned by Soumitra Khan in the Assembly elections. They can’t accept defeat. This is BJP’s game plan. They are trying to disrupt peace in Bengal,” said Ghosh.
Lashing out at the BJP, State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that "BJP is a regimented party. I don’t believe that their leadership does not know what one of their leaders are saying.”
However, the State BJP distanced itself from Khan’s remark. "The law and order situation has collapsed in West Bengal. Hence some people are making such remarks out of frustration. BJP does not approve of it. We believe in West Bengal as a State and is working for its development."
Meanwhile, an FIR was lodged against Barla at the Dinhata Police Station in Cooch Behar district for his demand of setting up a Union Territory out of the districts in North Bengal. Barla argued that such a step was necessary for the development of the region and dealing with issues such as cross border infiltration.